Thiruvananthapuram Medical College shocker! Patient trapped in lift for 36 hours

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Jul 15, 2024, 10:55 AM IST

Ravindran Nair, a patient, got stuck in a malfunctioning lift at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College for over a day. Despite his presence, the lift was not checked, and he was only discovered on Sunday morning by the lift operator.

Thiruvananathapuram: A patient was found trapped in a malfunctioning lift at Medical College for a day and a half. Ravindran Nair, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, was stuck in the lift who had come to the Ortho OP at the Medical College. The lift operator discovered the person inside only after resolving a technical issue with the lift on Monday (July 15).

Ravindran Nair arrived at the Medical College at 11 am on Saturday (July 13) with severe back pain. The lift in the Ortho department malfunctioned at 12 pm. At that time, Ravindran Nair was trapped inside the lift. However, the Medical College authorities did not check if anyone was trapped inside the malfunctioning lift.

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It was only when the lift operator opened it on Sunday morning that they found Ravindran Nair lying amidst urine and stool. His mobile phone had fallen on the floor and was damaged. Ravindran said that when the lift suddenly stopped with a loud noise and shook violently, his phone fell and broke."

Ravindran described his harrowing experience of being confined in a malfunctioning elevator for 48 hours, frantically triggering the alarm and calling out for assistance, only to be met with eerie silence. He banged on the lift doors for a long time, but no one came to his rescue. In a state of extreme fear and discomfort, he was forced to relieve himself inside the elevator, describing his ordeal as a living hell.

Health Minister Veena George has instructed the Director of the Medical Education Department to investigate and take action regarding the incident.

Harisankar, the son of the trapped individual, strongly criticized the authorities for their lack of response and negligence. He claimed that even after the elevator malfunctioned and stopped mid-way, no effort was made to check if anyone was trapped inside. Furthermore, he pointed out that the lift lacked basic safety features, including an alarm or alert system to notify someone in case of an emergency or entrapment.

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